Family Boarding

[Usmctankerwife]

We are flying in 9 days and I'm wondering if our whole family will be eligible to board with family boarding? 

We will have 2 adults, 4 kids ages 10, 9, 6 and 3.  We will likely have our 3 and 6 year olds in their carseats and I wouldn't be able to carry both seats myself, so I'd need my husband to board with me, but we obviously wouldn't leave our 9 and 10 year olds alone. 

Thank you!! 

[05bardic]

Only the 3 year old and 6 year old are guaranteed to receive family boarding. You can request assistance with the other two from the gate agents, but there's no guarantee you'll receive it as the policy only applies to children 6 years old and under. If it were me, I would pay for upgraded boarding for the 9 and 10 year old children. I understand you don't want to leave them alone, so that way they could at least board ahead of you instead of you leaving them alone at the gate. If they went towards the back of the plane you'd almost be guaranteed to sit together once the rest of you board during family boarding.  The people who pay for early boarding almost always choose the front of the plane.

If you're traveling with a child six years old or younger:

• Up to two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding.

If you are traveling with a child age seven to 13 years old:

• If you need and request assistance, Southwest will endeavor to seat a child next to one accompanying passenger (14 and older) to the maximum extent practicable and at no additional cost.
• Families can speak to Gate Agents or Flight Attendants to request assistance.

[DancingDavidE]

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@Usmctankerwife wrote:

We are flying in 9 days and I'm wondering if our whole family will be eligible to board with family boarding? 

We will have 2 adults, 4 kids ages 10, 9, 6 and 3.  We will likely have our 3 and 6 year olds in their carseats and I wouldn't be able to carry both seats myself, so I'd need my husband to board with me, but we obviously wouldn't leave our 9 and 10 year olds alone. 

Thank you!! 

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Are you flying as a family very often? I would say it is atypical for a six year old to have a car seat onboard the airplane, but that's up to you as long as it is an FAA approved car seat.

The policy is too vague for this situation to be covered - could it be one adult and one older kid go with one younger kid and then the other adult and older kid go with the other younger kid? Maybe yes. The policy says "adult" but the older kids have adult tickets so do they count as adults in this context?

If that didn't work then have one adult and one older kid go with the two younger kids, and have the other adult and other older kid either come later in their position and save spots for them, or else get priority boarding for those two and have them get spots for all of you following later at family boarding.

It will be easy to save some spots together the further back you go in the plane if necessary.

[Usmctankerwife]

We have not flown in many years, last time I flew I only had 3 kids and they were all under the age of 4! 

We will need the car seats for both our 3 year old and 6 year old for the rental car and I am not fond of checking car seats as they can easily be damaged and would prefer to carry them on board the plane and have them ride in their seats. 

I will just check with the gate attendant when we get there to see what we need to do! I also plan to check-in as soon as we are at 24 hours out! 

We also do not mind sitting towards the back of the plane. 

[dfwskier]

Lookie everyone. All of floridayguy's yamering about the policy allowing ONE adult to board with kids is gone...

[floridaguy]

I want to understand Family Boarding and family seating policies

Day of Travel

If you're traveling with a child six years old or younger:

• Up to two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding.
• There should be enough open seats to enable the child to sit next to at least one accompanying adult.
• If the child and adults are all holding “A” boarding passes, board in your assigned positions rather than waiting for Family Boarding
• If you need and request assistance, Southwest will endeavor to seat a child next to one accompanying passenger (14 and older) to the maximum extent practicable and at no additional cost.
• Families can speak to Gate Agents or Flight Attendants to request assistance.

  If you are traveling with a child age seven to 13 years old:

  • If you need and request assistance, Southwest will endeavor to seat a child next to one accompanying passenger (14 and older) to the maximum extent practicable and at no additional cost.
  • Families can speak to Gate Agents or Flight Attendants to request assistance.

[floridaguy]

Actually, its spelled "yammering" and I mis-stated one adult.  I've corrected that in a subsequent copy/paste of the policy.

The fundamental problem with this policy is its name.  It is not intended to be "family" boarding, but is in fact "child assist".  Too many people hear the term "family" and believe that the policy applies to them.  

The proper term should be "child assist" where anyone with a child under the age of seven can board with up to two adults.  And, as stated many times before, an adult is not an older child who has not reached the age of majority.  They board on their own.

Southwest is drifting toward assigned seats because of the mad rush to get on the plane first and also the misguided impression that families and those traveling together can sit together.  When they can't sit together due to seating occupancy during onboarding, they pitch a fit even though they knowingly bought a ticket on an airline that has open seating.